Rover-Time Dog Blog

We love Chicago’s Pet Community

Happy 7th Birthday, Rover-Time

Seven years ago I launched Rover-Time's first website. It helped me find four dog walking customers that I serviced while juggling my "bridge job". By March, that same year, I finally gave notice and became my own boss. Now we've grown to become Chicago's leader in consistent and compassionate dog walking. So happy birthday to us.

How to Travel With Your Dog on a Budget

Whether you're planning a cross-country trip with your dog to visit family for the holidays or making a longer trip out of it to stop and do some camping with your dog, it's normal to worry about how your pet will react, where you can go, and how much money you’ll have to spend. But traveling is always a unique experience, and so often offers us some of our most cherished memories and learning moments. The ability to bring your pup along with you has the potential to enhance these experiences so much! However, you need to be sure that you’re smart about when, where, and how you bring your dog.

Cool Pool Moments for the Dogs

Doggy Paddle Aquatic Center For Dogs warmly hosted us for our most recent client appreciation party. They opened up their adorable indoor dog park to us so we had a fun spot in the center to welcome and feed our guests. It was fascinating to watch our client’s dogs develop confidence with the stairs and proper swimming form. Read our review of this awesome spot in Chicago!

While school-aged children everywhere clear Target’s shelves to stock up on their school supplies in preparation for the year ahead, Chicago’s dog trainers are buying their tasty treats and brushing up for a new season of dog training courses. And many pet parents are getting ready to enroll in those classes. Typically, when people think of dog training classes, they think puppies. We see a lot of people who stop training after puppy class, but here are Rover-Time's top five reasons to continue training your adult dog.

The Dog Walker’s Take on What a Good Walk Looks Like

It's important to be a responsible dog owner so we raise confident, stable animals. Rover-Time welcomes all types of pups, and encourages pet parents who are working on reactivity and socialization issues to contact us for their mid-day dog walking needs. Or join us at Collar Club! In this article, a few of our professional dog walkers share their best tips for a successful walk.

5 Benefits of Taking Long Walks With Your Dog

We all know it is very important to walk our dogs, but today we share some of our own experiences and explore WHY it’s important to walk dogs. Here are Rover-Time's top 5 reasons to walk your dog but these only touch the surface of the tremendous benefits gained from walking our dogs.

How To Teach Your Dog To Heel

The “Heel” command has a ton of value for both the pet parent and the dog because it adds control to the walk and mental exercise for the dog. It provides leadership, drains energy, and creates relaxation in ways that a loose leash walk does not. In this article we give a few helpful tips for teaching your dog to pull less on their lead.

Helping Chicago Become a No Kill City

This is a blog post for Chicago’s rescue community and its adopters and fosters that have helped to save and protect healthy and treatable animals across our city. Rover-Time Supports Chicago's Rescue Animals.

13 Questions with Paul Fehrenbacher, Co-Founder at Mutt Jackson

Rover-Time had the pleasure of chatting with Paul Fehrenbacher about his breakout business, Mutt Jackson. To hear his excitement as he shared his vision to gather Chicago’s pet community together in a new, refreshing way was an inspiring experience. But we'll let the Chief Mutt himself fill you in on what makes Mutt Jackson so special.

Team Rover-Time Interview With Zoe Sjogerman

We are a team of vetted and experienced pet professionals focused on providing a high standard of care for your pets. Rover-Time’s blog is excited to begin featuring different employees in a Q&A format brought to you by our Lincoln Square staffer, Kirby. Today she’ll interview Zoe Sjogerman, who’s worked for Rover-Time for over two years! Meet Zoe Sjogerman, our Albany Park manager who shares her passion for animals, acting, and podcasts.

Business Spotlight: 10 Questions with Yvonne Feeney from Anything is Pawzible

While the idea of dog training goes hand-in-hand with puppyhood, dogs and humans of any age can benefit from the professional advice and guidance of a certified dog trainer. As total dog nerds here at Rover-Time, we’re always eager for the chance to learn more about canine behavior and the science that goes into dog training. I’ve recently had the opportunity to explore this firsthand with the adoption of my dog, Gretchen. When it became apparent that Gretchen had some tendencies towards leash reactivity, her rescue organization, One Tail at a Time, linked me with certified dog trainer and behavior specialist, Yvonne Feeney.

Three Things To Know About Working At Rover-Time

While I’ve personally witnessed the company grow and shift in new directions over the last few years, one thing has always stood true has been the company’s dedication to its walkers. These stellar individuals sincerely make everything possible. They’re always ready to care for our customer’s pets like they were their own and without them, there would be no Rover-Time. In order to maintain an all-star team of caretakers, you have to take care of them like all-stars.

Reasons Why You Should Choose A Premium Pet Care Service

Rover-Time’s rates represent more than just a walk. We uphold a principle of doing no harm. It’s our job to deliver skillful, safe, conscientious, and compassionate care to all animals entrusted to us so they return home safely.

The Most Important Question to Ask When Hiring a Dog Walker

Hiring a dog walker to break up your pup’s day is an important decision you shouldn’t take lightly. In this day and age of online, on-demand dog walking it’s worrisome to see dogs picked up by strangers with little knowledge of canine safety and little or no professional dog walking experience. But another popular option Chicago dog owners lean towards are the super small, “pop up” companies of one or two dog fans that actually aren’t running their business legally.

Happy 6th Birthday, Rover-Time

Six years ago I launched Rover-Time's first website. It helped me find four dog walking customers that I serviced while juggling my "bridge job". By March, that same year, I finally gave notice and became my own boss.

So, the first quarter of every year, has always been a time of celebration for me so this list of 2017's most brilliant moments and our supply drive will be how I mark our 6th birthday. Enjoy.

12 Days of Chauncey: The Wrap Up

Over the last several weeks, Chauncey, Rover-Time's mascot, pulled out his administrative skills to share his most sincere holiday wishes. He hasn’t done this since 2013, so we entertained the idea and brought back his Twelve Days of Christmas contribution to our blog.

Now that it's concluded, we'd love to share one last post to wrap up all the joy. And demands.

12 Days of Chauncey: Super Mega Space Heater

Today marks Day 1 of CBV’s 12 Days of Chauncey countdown. Thank you so much for following along on this crazy ride he’s taken us on. We’re actually surprised his holiday wishlist wasn’t completely comprised of this single item.

12 Days of CBV: Become Famous on Instagram

12 Days of CBV: A Rover-Time Birthday Box

My Chihuahua Terrier is still at it with his cheerful holiday demands. So far I've been impressed with his thoughtful asks: just a few million treats, some greenery to help a good cause, 1:1 time with Santa... looks like today is just wants a birthday celebration in his honor.

12 Days of CBV: One Million Treats from Ava’s Pet Palace

Today, we’re sharing Chauncey’s sixth deepest desire for this year’s holiday season. He’d like to be showered with treats from Ava's Pet Palace. And he'd like you, our dear reader, to consider bringing some of these home for your own dog because all dogs should try these.

12 Days of CBV: Photos With Santa

The other day I sat down to get some work done for Rover-Time and found a poorly spelled list on the screen. Chauncey, my dog, pulled out his administrative skills once again to share his most sincere holiday wishes. He hasn’t done this since 2013, so I’m entertaining the idea and bringing back his Twelve Days of Christmas contribution to our blog.

Over the next couple of weeks leading up to the winter holiday, we’ll share his twelve must haves. Enjoy.

Does Having a Kid Make You Love Your Dog Less?

Should Your Dog Be Allowed to Say No?

What’s a Walk For?

Is there any activity more closely associated with dog ownership, especially urban dog ownership, than walkies? If new dog owners go in knowing nothing else, they have already had it hammered into them that they must walk their dog religiously.

This might seem like a funny thing to question in a blog for a dog-walking company, but: why?

Pet Insurance: Less Worry, More Peace of Mind with Figo

From health to auto insurance, there's a veritable cornucopia of ways to protect what we hold dear. And what's more dear than our pets? Figo Pet Insurance is a nationwide pet insurance company that got its start in Chicago! A highly innovative company, Figo has been challenging industry standards, on both technological and customer service fronts, since its inception in 2012.

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Rover-Time is a member of Pet Sitters International and the Association of Professional Dog Trainers, and fully insured by Kennel Pro. All team members of Rover-Time are trained and certified in Pet First Aid and CPR.